The snowstorm of December 22 to 24, 2007

The Regional Snowfall Index is NOAA’s ranking of snowstorms east of the Rockies by how much snow fell, over how wide an area and on how many people, region by region: the area and the population above four snowfall thresholds set for each region, weighted against that region’s own history. A storm is scored in each region it reached, on a scale from 1, notable, to 5, extreme.

Events

310

Deaths

3

Injuries

165

Damage

$1.7 million

Episodes

44

Every winter weather episode the Weather Service filed east of the Rockies in these dates. A few may belong to another system on the same days. Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 21 to 22, 200770 kt wind · 4 eventsOn 12/21, the arctic front remained stationary over central southeast Alaska. A 972 MB storm center was approaching from the southwest, and moved onto the south coast by early morning 12/22 and totally dissipated by the afternoon.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 21, 20078 eventsHeavy upslope snow developed across the northern Black Hills behind a strong cold front. Six to 15 inches of snow fell from Spearfish to the Lead and Deadwood areas.
• Winter Storm in New Mexico, December 21 to 22, 200713 eventsAn upper low crossed from northwest to east central New Mexico while a surface low intensified over the Texas Panhandle. Moderate snowfall amounts generally ranged from 1 to 5 inches from the afternoon of the 21st into the morning of the 22nd.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, December 21 to 22, 20076 eventsA strong uppel level system generated heavy snow over the southeast mountains and adjacent terrain.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in Kansas, December 22, 200727 eventsAn intense winter storm moved into western Kansas early Saturday morning, December 22nd. This storm brought snow to most of Dodge City’s CWA, with nearly every county reporting blizzard conditions during the day Saturday.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kansas, December 22, 200711 eventsA winter storm system brought near-blizzard conditions to portions of northeast Kansas during the morning hours of December 22, the busy Saturday for travel before the Christmas holiday.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, December 22, 20073 injured · 8 eventsA powerful area of low pressure brought heavy snow and near blizzard conditions to portions of central, south-central and southeast Kansas on December 22nd. Heavy snow began to fall across the area between 0700 and 1000 CST.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, December 22, 200713 eventsA large winter storm, affected northwest and north central Missouri, on December 22, 2007. The first affects of the storm was early in the day, when rain, sleet, and freezing rain lifted north across the area. However, this mixed precipitation quickly transitioned over to snow.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, December 22, 20075 eventsA winter storm moved across extreme eastern Kansas on December 22, 2007.|A band of heavy snow was observed, depositing as much as nine inches of snow. Northwest winds up to 30 mph caused blowing and drifting of the snow.
• Winter Weather in Texas, December 22, 20072 deaths · 150 injured · $1.6 million · 2 eventsOne to two inches of snow combined with strong winds to create white out conditions east of Amarillo and also near Pampa. The snow and blowing snow contributed to a major vehicular accident on Interstate 40 near the intersection of U.S.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 22, 200712 injured · $51,000 · 22 eventsA quick moving upper level wave entered western Oklahoma during the morning hours and quickly moved east through the state during the late morning and afternoon hours. A quick burst of heavy snow accompanied the storm system.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, December 22, 20078 eventsLow pressure developed over the southern U.S. as a cold front moved through Iowa during the early morning hours of the 22nd. Very warm air was drawn north ahead of the cold front with temperatures reaching the 20s to low 40s overnight.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, December 22 to 24, 20074 eventsA winter storm moved from the southern Plains into the western Great Lakes during the weekend of December 22-23. In northeast Iowa, this was the second high impact storm of the month, producing heavy snow, strong winds and some freezing drizzle.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Iowa, December 22 to 23, 200721 eventsAn intense low pressure system tracked from the Texas panhandle to near Chicago, and then to upper Michigan December 22-23, 2007. This storm system dumped heavy snow amounts of 4 to 8 inches over most of eastern Iowa.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 22 to 24, 20072 eventsA winter storm moved from the southern Plains into the western Great Lakes during the weekend of December 22-23. In southeast Minnesota, this was the second high impact storm of the month, producing heavy snow and strong winds.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Missouri, December 22 to 23, 20072 eventsAn intense low pressure system tracked from the Texas panhandle to near Chicago, and then to upper Michigan December 22-23, 2007. This storm system dumped snow amounts of around 4 inches across portions of northeast Missouri. The snow was also mixed with freezing rain and sleet.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Illinois, December 22 to 23, 200713 eventsAn intense low pressure system tracked from the Texas panhandle to near Chicago, and then to upper Michigan December 22-23, 2007. This storm system dumped around 4 inches of snow in extreme northwest Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 22 to 23, 20078 eventsAn intense low pressure system brought wintry precipitation, mainly in the form of heavy snow, to much of northwest Wisconsin over the pre-holiday weekened. Precipitation began as a mixture of light snow, rain, and freezing drizzle on the evening of December 21.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 22 to 24, 200713 eventsA winter storm moved from the southern Plains into the western Great Lakes during the weekend of December 22-23. In southwest and central Wisconsin, this was the second high impact storm of the month, producing heavy snow, strong winds and some freezing drizzle.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 22 to 24, 20077 eventsA surface low pressure system over Northern Texas early on the 22nd, deepened as it marched northeast into far Southern Minnesota by the early evening hours, and then into Northeastern Wisconsin by early on the 23rd.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 22 to 23, 20074 eventsA long-duration winter storm on December 22-23rd generated snow and blowing snow, but was preceded by two to three hours of freezing rain. Ice accumulations of 1/8 to 1/4 inch were followed by snow accumulations of 4 to 10 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 22 to 23, 20071 eventA strong low pressure system tracking from the Lower Great Lakes into western Upper Michigan brought heavy snow and lake enhanced snow to portions of Gogebic County on the 22nd and 23rd.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 22 to 23, 200710 eventsA long-duration winter weather event affected parts of south-central, east-central, and southeast Wisconsin on December 22-23rd. Some light freezing rain preceded snow and blowing snow.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 22 to 23, 20076 eventsAn intense low pressure system brought wintry precipitation, mainly in the form of heavy snow, to much of northeast Minnesota over the pre-holiday weekened. Precipitation began as a mixture of light snow, rain, and freezing drizzle on the evening of December 21.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 23 to 24, 200710 eventsA low pressure system over Missouri on the evening of December 22nd rapidly intensified as it moved into eastern Wisconsin during the early morning hours of December 23rd and then continued north into Upper Michigan by noon.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 23, 20071 eventA surface trough of low pressure moved across lower Cook Inlet overnight producing locally heavy snow along Dimond Ridge near Homer. A spotter along Dimond Ridge reported 12 to 14 inches of snow that began after midnight and had fallen by 8 AM AST.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, December 23, 20071 eventA strong low pressure system tracking through Upper Michigan brought strong wind and near-blizzard conditions to portions of Delta County on the 23rd.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 23, 20071 eventA moist pacific system brought heavy snow to the East Slopes of the North Washington Cascades. Snow accumulations include 20 inches at Holden Village, 10 inches 10 miles north of Ardenvoir, and nine inches five miles north of Mazama.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 23 to 26, 20073 eventsSeveral frontal systems brought heavy snow to the mountains.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, December 23 to 24, 20078 eventsNumerous locations across the area reported total snow accumulations of around six to eight inches, accompanied by high winds which resulted in near blizzard conditions at times.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, December 23 to 24, 20075 eventsA deep, occluded low pressure system moved northeast across Western Upper Michigan during the daylight hours of the 23rd. As colder air entered the region, rain turned to snow. Southwest winds off of Lake Michigan enhanced snowfall into parts of Northwest Lower Michigan.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 23, 20074 eventsThe long-duration winter storm of December 22-23rd that affected the counties of Marquette, Sauk, Iowa, and Lafayette, subsided to a winter weather event during the evening hours of December 23rd.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, December 23 to 24, 20073 eventsA Pacific storm system brought moisture and high winds to the Rocky Mountain Front and to the high country of Southwest Montana. Snowfall in excess of 8 inches was reported along with sustained winds greater than 40 mph.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Idaho, December 24, 20074 eventsA storm which began shortly after midnignt on Christmas Eve and continued all day brought mixture of freezing rain and heavy snow to portions of southeast Idaho.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 24 to 25, 20074 eventsA strong storm moved across Kodiak Island December 24th to the northern Gulf of Alaska. Snow fell in advance of the low across Kodiak island spreading to the southern Kenai Peninsula.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Utah, December 24 to 25, 20074 eventsA strong cold front that entered northern Utah on Christmas Eve brought significant snowfall to both the mountains and valleys.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Wyoming, December 24 to 25, 20072 eventsA strong cold front moved across Northern Wyoming Christmas Eve bringing in much cooler temperatures.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 24 to 25, 20071 eventThe arctic front had become stationary over northern southeast Alaska on Monday, 12/24 while a storm force low center had moved into the western Gulf that afternoon.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 25, 200715 eventsSnow accumulated 2 to 6 inches over most of southeast South Dakota during the daytime and early evening hours of Christmas Day 2007.
• Winter Weather in Iowa, December 25, 20076 eventsSteady snow accumulated 2 to 5 inches over the far northwestern corner of Iowa during the afternoon and evening of Christmas Day.
• Winter Weather in Minnesota, December 25, 20071 death · 8 eventsA steady snow accumulated 2 to 6 inches over southwest Minnesota during the daytime and early evening hours of Christmas Day.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 25 to 26, 20076 eventsA potent Pacific storm brought a white Christmas to the Cascades, Cascade Foothills, and Coast Range. Snowfall accumulations were also reported at lower elevations.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 25 to 26, 20072 eventsA potent Pacific storm brought a white Christmas to the Cascades and Cascade Foothills. Snowfall accumulations were also reported at lower elevations.
• Winter Storm in New Mexico, December 25 to 26, 20074 eventsA vigorous upper low moved southeast across New Mexico while a strong cold front plunged south across the eastern plains.

The snowstorm of December 14 to 17, 2007The snowstorm of February 1 to 3, 2008Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

NOAA NCEI Regional Snowfall Index, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.